What is the meaning of War Pigs by Black Sabbath?

What is the meaning of War Pigs by Black Sabbath?

War Pigs from Black Sabbath’s Paranoid album. Black Sabbath is showcasing their antiwar philosophy in the song, “War Pigs.” The title refers to personnel who wage and carries out wars, but largely keep their distance for getting their “hands dirty.” Case in point, US government.

Is War Pigs an anti-war song?

According to Black Sabbath vocalist Ozzy Osbourne War Pigs is a generic anti-war song; it was not specifically about Vietnam. War Pigs did not sell well as a single but has become an iconic song. Several critics consider it the best heavy metal anti-war song ever recorded.

What is the song War Pigs protesting?

While Butler has said that “War Pigs” is “totally against the Vietnam War, about how these rich politicians and rich people start all the wars for their benefit and get all the poor people to die for them”, vocalist Osbourne has stated that the group “knew nothing about Vietnam.

When did the song War Pigs come out?

1970
War Pigs/Released
“War Pigs” was their magnum opus. The song, released in 1970, struck a chord with a growing legion of heavy rock fans but also among anti-war activists.

What does the term war pig mean?

War pigs are pigs reported to have been used in ancient warfare as military animals, mostly as a countermeasure against war elephants. In the first century BC, Lucretius noted that humans may have attempted to launch wild beasts, such as lions or “savage boars”, against the enemy, but with catastrophic results.

What country is Black Sabbath from?

Aston, Birmingham, United Kingdom
Black Sabbath/Origin

What type of song is War Pigs?

Heavy metal
War Pigs

“War Pigs”
Song by Black Sabbath
Recorded 1970
Genre Heavy metal
Length 7:58

Why was the song War Pigs written?

“War Pigs” was inspired by the Vietnam War. Sabbath bass player Geezer Butler, who was also their lyricist, recalled to Mojo in 2017: “Britain was on the verge of being brought into it, there was protests in the street, all kinds of anti -Vietnam things going on. War is the real Satanism.

Why are elephants afraid of pigs?

Taking a page for the playbooks of Indian military leaders, the ancient Greeks and Romans decided to fight beasts with beasts. Pigs, they learned, emitted a loud, annoying squeal that would so scare the elephants that the pachyderms would flee in fright.

What was the name of Black Sabbath’s song War Pigs?

The song is even titled as “War Pigs/Luke’s Wall” on the US albums. Faith No More made a live cover of this song for Black Sabbath tribute album “Nativity In Black” (1994).

What was the original name of Black Sabbath?

Originally formed in 1968 as a heavy blues rock band named Earth and renamed Black Sabbath in 1969, the band began incorporating occult and horror-inspired lyrics with tuned-down guitars and achieving multiple platinum records in the 1970s.

Where did the song War Pigs come from?

“War Pigs” was called originally “Walpurgis” after Walpurgis Night, a festival with origins in Paganism and Witchcraft. Ozzy Osbourne released that version on his album “The Ozzman Cometh” (1997). Despite its title, this song is against the horrors of war, particularly Vietnam War.

When is Walpurgis Night in Black Sabbath?

Walpurgis Night takes place on the 30th April to mark the eve of the feast day of Saint Walpurga, an 8th-century English missionary to the Frankish Empire. It is also believed to be the night of a witches’ meeting or sabbath. The instrumental outro is entitled, “Luke’s Wall.”